Secrets, Lies and Unexpected Turns
by ScottBrotherLover23
Summary: Secrets, lies and Unexpected Turns; it's all happening in Tree Hill! A lot of Naley, some Brucas, Clinn & Leyton and some possible Jeyton.
1. Chapter 1 - An Uncovered Secret

Hey, so this is my first fanfiction... I've been toying with the idea of posting this for about a month now after writing the first chapter & decided now is finally the time to do so! Please let me know what you think and any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated! :)

Oh, and as always, the main characters in this story are not my own, only the ideas.

Chapter 1.

Nathan awoke to a strip of morning sunlight creeping in through the gap in the curtains, casting its rays over the bed. He rubbed his eyes slightly, adjusting to the morning light, before looking to his right, where Haley lay. He smiled, remembering the events of the night before, it had been perfect, exactly as he wanted it to be. He decided it was probably best not to wake her and lay watching her sleep for a while. He memorized every line, contour and feature on her face as she slept, the sunlight framing her sleeping body perfectly. He thought of how beautiful she was, of how lucky he was to call her his, of how much he was in love with this girl. 

Nathan kept dozing, and was fully awakened by Haley beginning to stir. He turned his head to watch her wake, she always looked so content when she woke up. Haley stretched her arms out, smiling as she realised exactly where she was and who she was with. She rolled over to face Nathan, who greeted her with those piercing blue eyes and his warm smile. 

"Hey" she whispered.

"Morning you, how did you sleep?"

"Really well, but I didn't get to sleep 'til quite early this morning, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" she replied, giving him a flirty smile.

"Of course not!" he smirked. "Anything you'd like to tell me Haley James?"

"Only that last night was perfect, how much I love you and that you look pretty hot in the morning" she shot back, running her hand across his bare chest.

He smiled at her and pulled her closer to him, planting a tender kiss upon her lips. "I wanted it to be perfect for you, I'm glad it was. I know exactly how much you love me and I want you to know I mean it everytime I tell you the same."

Haley smiled up at him, taking in the sincerity within his eyes.

"As for looking pretty hot, it's in the Scott genes, not quite sure what happened with Lucas" he joked.

Haley giggled, playfully hitting his bare chest. "Poor Luke, you're so mean to him!"

Nathan pulled her closer for another kiss, both smiling as they broke away.

"If we're talking about looking pretty hot this morning, then you should see my girlfriend, she's looking pretty damn fine in her boyfriend's t-shirt" he smirked, running his fingers along her bare thigh.

Haley smiled, pulling him closer to her, loving the warmth of his skin. She felt as if her skin was one fire beneath his fingertips, something she only felt with Nathan. Nathan held her in his muscular arms, continuing to trace patterns on her thigh. She placed her head on his chest and wrapped her arm across him. The two felt so content, it felt so right to be there in that moment.

"I love how that sounds, me being your girlfriend and you as my boyfriend."

"I couldn't think of anything that sound any more perfect."

Nathan looked down at Haley, thinking of how much he wanted her, how much he needed her. As if she could read his mind, Haley lifted her head and looked up at him once more. He leant down to kiss her tenderly. They went back to their positions of holding one another, entirely content with their lives. They lay there, embracing each other for a while, neither one wanting to move.

Further down the hallway, Lucas rummaged through his suitcase, and the few clothes he had unpacked into the dresser. He had wanted to go for his morning run at 6am, but it was now 6:15 and he was no closer to leaving anytime soon. He muttered under his breath, searching for his t-shirt, realising that it definitely wasn't anywhere to be found. He stuffed his iPod and earphones into his pocket, and made the trip down the hall to Nathan's room. He knew he could borrow one of his t-shirts for now and would have to stop of at a local store when everyone went shopping later at the local complex. He opened Nathan's door, not bothering to knock.

"Hey Nate, any chance I can borrow a t-shirt, I can't fi…" He was cut short by the sight in-front of him. Nathan was not alone, and Haley was draped across him, wearing Nathan's shirt. The two looked at him with surprise in their eyes, not expecting to be disturbed.

His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared as he felt the anger rising.

"What the hell is going on?!"


	2. Chapter 2 - Making Demands

Hey! I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who viewed my very first chapter on here, and to those that favourited and followed my story. I'd also like to thank naley12 & 94 for their lovely reviews as well, you've made me realise that it definitely is worth me writing this!

Updates may be a little slow, due to life, but I'm hopefully going to get a couple of chapters ahead in my writing so I'll be able to post more often for you, hopefully at least once a month. :) I forgot to mention that this story does start slightly halfway, with there being a flashback to how it started, which will hopefully make more sense as you read the story!

This chapter is slightly more of a filler chapter, so I'm sorry its not very good, but I've been struggling to work out how to get to the point of there being a flashback, which I've hopefully figured out! As always, please review and let me know what you think, and hopefully you enjoy this chapter as much as the first!

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"I said what the hell is going on?!" Lucas repeated as he was met with no reply. He glanced back and forth between Haley and Nathan, both clearly unsure of how to answer him. Nathan began to rise from the bed.

"Morning to you too little brother," he began as he started to move away from the comfort of his bed.

"Don't patronise me, just answer the question" Lucas replied, feeling the anger inside of him rising with each passing moment.

"I'm sure you can work that one out for yourself Luke, you don't need me to explain" Nathan moved across to the chest of drawers in the corner, pulling out a grey tshirt. "Here, you can borrow this one, just make sure you wash it before you give it back," he continued, throwing it towards Lucas.

Lucas caught the tshirt and grasped it tightly, his knuckles turning white. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself from reaching his breaking point. He stared at Nathan, their eyes meeting. Neither one was backing down. He turned to a rather fearful looking Haley, still lying in Nathan's bed, clutching the duvet in her fists, watching the two closely. "Haley, just tell me what's going on…"

"You don't have to answer that Hales"

"I think she can answer for herself Nate!" Lucas snapped back, stepping towards Nathan who matched the closing proximity.

The tension was rising and both were standing chest to chest, evident that any moment one would throw the first punch. Both were known to have the occasional fight when this angered, but Lucas seemed to be the angrier brother, something which was quite unusual. Haley noticed the angered look in Lucas' eyes and the more placid yet stern look in Nathan's. She knew she had to stop this.

"Luke, don't." Haley began, kneeling on the bed, with a pleading look in her eyes.

Lucas turned to her, and waited for her to continue, stepping slightly back from Nathan.

"I… We…." Haley stuttered, unsure of how to explain this to him. How could she explain to her best friend that she'd been dating his older brother, and not only dating him but sleeping with him too? She began to feel that familiar lump in her throat. "Luke please don't be angry..." she choked.

"I'm not angry Hales, I'm just disappointed." He replied quietly. His eyes showed less anger than they had before she spoke, but it was evident he was hurt that she'd kept this from him.

"D'you know what, obviously neither of you can be bothered to tell me what's going on." He shrugged his shoulders, letting his arms fall loosely at his sides. "I'm going for a run, like I originally intended to do this morning, and when I get back I want answers."

He glanced once more at both Nathan and Haley, and before either one could reply, he turned and left the room.


	3. Chapter 3 - Silence Is Key

Hi! I wasn't planning on updating until later in the month, but I've written further ahead than I thought I would be at this point so thought that now would be a good time to update. Big thank you to those who viewed the last chapter, the views are much bigger than I anticipated, so thank you to every single one of you! Also thank you to those who took the time to review, it is really appreciated and its nice to know that you're enjoying the story so far despite me being only a few chapters in.

This chapter focuses mainly on Lucas, but there will be some significance to it as the story progresses.

I also wondered whether some of you wanted to get more involved in the story, particularly with the pairings for Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake and Julian. I do kind of ship all 4 but obviously I cant do all of them and wanted to see if there was one that you really wanted. So as usual please review and leave any suggestions for me as well and hopefully you'll enjoy the chapter. :)

 **Chapter 3.**

Lucas stepped out into the early morning sun, turned on his iPod and began to run the familiar path from the James' cabin to the lake, just north of the woods. He'd ran this path a thousand times, but each time he was met with a new sight, something which he appreciated. Picking up the pace to his latest favourite upbeat track, found on Nathan's playlist, he steadily climbed the gentle slope through the trees. The sun was breaking through the branches, highlighting small parts of the forest around him. That was one of the things he loved most about the early mornings here, it always had that earthreal look, one that couldn't be replicated anywhere else.

He continued to tread the beaten track, keeping his pace fairly steady and even, just like the doctor had advised him. He shook his head slightly, as if to shake the thoughts from his head. He'd tell his Mom and Keith this week, he had to, but for now he needed to concentrate on something else and running was exactly that. He slowed as he began to reach the top of the path, knowing that just beyond the hill was the lake. He'd had so many memories here as a child, many of just him and Haley playing by the clear, cool water; Nathan only joining them occasionally, when he wasn't training or at basketball camp.

Steadily slowing down more to a gentle jog, descending from the peak of the track down towards the lake. He headed towards the rocks bordering the edge. He climbed onto a not so high rock and sat firmly upon it, before unplugging his iPod. He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms upon his legs, just gazing at the scene in front of him. In all these years it hadn't changed a bit. It was still the same calm, peaceful place it always was, somewhere that he had fond memories of, but also found the solitude of just being alone by the lake comforting, always allowing him to be alone with his thoughts.

He remembered the first time he'd come to this lake, he'd encouraged Haley to follow him, an adventure he'd called it. They'd gotten lost wandering through the woods, found the lake and stayed put, playing at the water's edge, completely unaware of time.

Of course being an adventurous 5 year old at the time and the bolder, more confident one of the two, Lucas had influenced Haley and the two had wandered further than was allowed. Inevitably this had led to both Karen and Lydia being frantic and worried at the realisation that both Lucas and Haley were missing. After a brief search from both Keith and Jimmy, the two had been found and grounded for the rest of the week.

Lucas reflected on how worried their parents must have been, but as a 5 year old, the world was there to explore! He continued to reminisce, smiling to himself at the memory of a particular afternoon one July three years ago.

It had been a scorching summer once again and that summer both Dan and Deb had decided to join the two families at the cabin. Well, by saying Dan and Deb decided, that actually meant just Deb, as Dan had been brought along practically kicking and screaming, in typical Dan Scott style. Deb had believed that the summer would give Lucas and Nathan a chance to bond more outside of Tree Hill, as well as giving Dan a chance to reconcile his rather rocky relationship with Keith.

The afternoon he remembered started with a suggestion of fishing from Jimmy James, who believed that a 'man's afternoon' was just what was needed. Luke remembered how Keith showed both him and Nathan how to fish, while Dan glared and moaned for the majority of the afternoon. It had escalated from moaning on Dan's part to being raging mad when being answered back by Nathan. Dan had stood up on the boat and started towards Nathan, with the intent to "instill some manners into the little punk", only to lose his footing and fall into the lake.

Lucas chuckled to himself, remembering how mad Dan had been at not only Nathan, but at all of them for laughing. He'd spent the next hour sitting on the far side of the boat, sulking, sipping on a bottle of his beer, absolutely soaked. It was safe to say Dan declined every fishing trip offer after that.

Luke's smile began to fade as he began to reflect on this morning's events. He had so many questions he needed answering; how long had it been going on? Were they dating, were they a couple or just two friends having fun? He needed answers and he knew he would get them, even if it mean dragging Haley away from Nathan for a few hours. If that was even possible anymore. How had he not noticed it before? Thinking about it, Lucas recalled how secretive both had been lately, and how Haley often had to leave straight after she'd finished her shift at Karen's Café, for one reason or another, not having as much time to spend with him. Obviously it wasn't purely coincidental that Nathan had always been too busy to hang out on the same nights then.

Lucas reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, checking the time. He'd been here for around an hour and decided it was time to head back. His mom would probably be preparing breakfast right now and it would take him around fifteen minutes to get back to the cabin, he didn't want to miss his mom's pancakes and to find that Nate and Jimmy had eaten them all. Pushing himself up off the rock, he contemplated confronting Haley and Nathan at breakfast, but decided against it. He knew it wouldn't be good involving the parents before he properly knew what was going on.

He stuffed his phone into his pocket and began to search for his iPod, but stopped when his phone began to vibrate. He fished it out and looked at the caller id, his smile returning to his face.

"Hey you" he spoke softly upon answering.

"I'm okay, I managed to get out for a run so the signal isn't very good. How about you?"

He paused, listening intently to the caller.

"Good, good, as long as you're okay." He began to lightly kick at the sand, content with listening.

"I miss you too. But I'll be back in Tree Hill and back with you before you know it."

"Yeah.. Anyway, I'd best get back otherwise I'm gonna' miss breakfast and I'll let you get ready for your day out."

"Okay, I'll text you later.."

"You too…. Bye."

He locked his phone and slid it back into his pocket, still smiling from the short conversation he'd had. He plugged his iPod in once more, choosing his Travis playlist and began to jog back towards the cabin.


	4. Chapter 4 - Sunny Side Up

Hi! First of all a big thank you to everyone that has read the story so far and to those who have reviewed it! Sorry the update for this story has been a little slow. I had hoped to get it up quicker than I had but I haven't been able to. This chapter was originally longer, but I felt it worked better as two separate chapters in the end as it was a little long... Anyway, it's here now and hopefully you all like it!

 **Chapter 4.**

"Lily stop running around and sit down, I'm trying to get breakfast ready" Karen scolded, leaning over the stove, while swatting at her daughter with her tea towel.

"But Mom…"

"Lily, do as your mother says and sit down please." Keith interrupted, peering over his newspaper.

" 'Kay" the young girl pouted, slumping into the chair next to her father, rather sulkily. Keith smiled and shook his head slightly, returning to the sports column he was reading.

My, he thought to himself; there's no doubting she's Karen's daughter, with her stubbornness and no doubting she's a Scott with her sulking and pouting, lord help me when she's a teenager! He began to chuckle at the thought of two stubborn women in the Scott household, how would he and Luke cope?!

Karen looked across at him, curious as to what he was laughing at. "Something funny Keith?" she questioned with a smile. He peered over his paper once more, this time with the Scott trademark smirk, "Nothing, or at least not something I'd like to share".

"Very well. I guess there won't be enough pancakes to share with you this morning then," she replied, throwing him a flirtatious look.

"Oh really?" he questioned, setting down his paper and glasses on the table. He was about to reply with a rather inappropriate comment, when he was reminded of the presence of his daughter.

"Daddy, when can we go for a walk to see the birds?" the small girl questioned, her elbows propping up her head, while her small legs kicked the air above the tiled floor.

"Later sweetie, after Mommy's made breakfast and everyone's ready" Keith replied, reaching across and pulling his daughter onto his lap. "How about you sit here and read the sports results with Daddy while we wait?"

Lily nodded, smiled and grabbed at the paper from where it lay. Karen smiled, it was always a wonderful sight to watch her daughter and husband interact, it reminded her so much of the years gone by from when it would be Lucas sat on Keith's knee, reading the same column while she prepared breakfast. Her thoughts were interrupted by Haley's presence, soon followed by Nathan's.

"Morning Karen, Keith, Lily" chirped Haley, smiling at the three of them as she made her way from the doorway across to where Karen was cooking. They looked perfect sat around in the farmhouse style kitchen, like a proper family, but only fully complete when Lucas was there.

"Morning Haley, how did you sleep?" replied Karen, handing her a glass.

Haley thanked her, taking the glass and crossing over to the fridge. "I slept okay thanks, did you?"

"Not as well as I usually do here, but much better than I do in Tree Hill. Would have been better if Keith hadn't been snoring all night" she laughed.

Keith blushed slightly, obviously embarrassed, and continued to read with Lily, while Haley joined in the laughing. Nathan took a seat next to Keith, acknowledged everyone in the kitchen and got involved with reading the column. Haley leant against the porcelain sink, sipping her juice, watching how Nathan interacted with Lily. He was caring and looked so at ease with a child. She knew he'd be a wonderful father one day and couldn't help but wonder whether he'd be a wonderful father to her children. She knew it was too early to be thinking about that kind of thing but couldn't help smiling at the thought. Nathan caught her watching him as he looked across at her, hoping to be unnoticed himself. His piercing blue eyes met her dark brown eyes, and it felt as if he was looking into her soul. She quickly looked away, turning to wash her glass. This look did not go unnoticed by either Keith or Karen, both glancing at the pair, raising their eyebrows slightly at each other as if to question it.

Keith, Lily and Nathan continued to be absorbed in the sports column, while Karen continued to cook.

"Haley, could you give me a hand for a moment please, I could use some help with plating everything up ready for the table."

"Sure!" Haley walked back over to the stove, smiling at Karen. It felt just like being back at home working in the café, something which she loved to do.

"So, did you enjoy yourself last night?" Karen began. "You certainly looked beautiful." She knew from experience that the best way to question a teenager was to start off on a neutral subject.

"Aw thanks Karen! I felt it that's for sure, your dress was stunning! I had a great time, it had been far too long since we'd joined the Smith's on their boat." Haley smiled, it certainly had been a good night, but not just because of the party.

"Thank you Haley, it's one I bought a few years ago and forgot about so it seemed the perfect opportunity to wear it! It definitely had been, Tim was up to his usual silliness later on into the night, I'm sure he'd been drinking, even though Shari claimed he was just excited. It was such a shame you left early!" Karen continued, stirring the beans in the saucepan, hoping that Haley would be willing to offer more information about why she'd disappeared so early from the Smith's party and where she'd actually gone. "If you don't mind me asking Haley, why did you leave so early last night?"

Haley continued to plate up the food, taken aback slightly by Karen's question. She knew that she would eventually be questioned about leaving the party early, but she hadn't realised it would be so soon.

Nathan glanced at Haley, noting the sudden panic on her face. He knew she'd crack and end up telling Karen everything if she couldn't think of an answer. He wasn't embarrassed of the previous night's events, nor did he regret them, he just knew that it would cause a lot of issues between the families, particularly with his own mother arriving with her new husband that evening, not to mention his fathers expected arrival that afternoon. Perfect timing Scott he thought to himself.

Haley looked at him, as if pleading for help, but knew he couldn't say anything without making it obvious to both Karen and Keith that something had happened. .

"Oh… I…. er…." She started.

"There she is, my number one princess!" shouted Jimmy James, entering the kitchen and heading straight towards his youngest daughter, interrupting Haley mid-sentence.

"Morning Daddy" Haley replied, meeting him halfway. Jimmy scooped Haley into a hug and affectionately rubbed her head as he released her from the embrace.

"Oooh pancakes!" Jimmy exclaimed, reaching for one from the stack, only to be met with a playful hit on his hand from Karen.

"I wouldn't if you value your life, I think Nathan's got his eye on the first one" Karen joked, looking across at Nathan. He looked up once more from the sports column and grinned.

"Sure have Mr James, but you can always fight me for it with a game of hoops. First to 10?"

"Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, how many times, just call me Jimmy! We've known each other long enough now to be well past any formalities. Anyway, we both know that I'd beat you and win" he joked, walking over to the table and setting down a glass of juice. He took the seat at the opposite head of the table from Keith, a tradition that had been kept for years. Nathan laughed and began to playfully argue with Jimmy, the pair joking with each other about who was better at what sport, before involving Keith in the debate. Karen and Haley both looked at each other and laughed, knowing this debate would go on for quite a while if they weren't fed soon.

"Now, now boys, no fighting at the breakfast table!" said Lydia entering the kitchen, laughing at yet another typical man debate, before walking across to join Karen and Haley. "You know girls, we should just give them a room to themselves, full of sports, food and beer and I'm sure they'd be quite content, I know I would be!"

The three of them laughed and continued to have a neutral discussion about varied things. Within a few minutes everything was ready and Haley and Lydia began laying the table around the boys and Lily, while Karen finished plating up the remainder of the food. The last of the food was set on the table and Karen was just placing a large steaming hot coffee pot at one end, when Lucas came in through the French doors.

"Oh you're here! I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost!" she joked.

"Yeah, me and Jimmy were about to start a search party for you!" Keith continued, causing everyone to laugh at the memory of the time they had searched for him. Lucas laughed and unplugged his ipod, stuffing it into his pocket, before kicking off his shoes. He walked around the table to take his usual space next to his younger sister, who beamed at him the whole time. He rubbed her head as he sat down and pulled a face, causing the young girl to shriek with laughter. The general chit chat around the table settled down slightly as everyone took their respective seats.

"Mmm smells amazing!" Nathan said, reaching for a pancake from the stack in the middle, "Guess I got the first one after all Mr Ja-, sorry, Jimmy," he added, clearing his throat a little at his mistake.

"Thanks Nathan, I figured everyone could do with a good hearty breakfast after last night" Karen replied, laughing.

"Too right!" exclaimed Lydia. "Please just pass me the coffee!" causing everyone to erupt with laughter. It was a little known fact to the wider world that Lydia James could not handle her red wine, especially when it was flowing for free at one of the Smith's parties.

"Well Nate, I guess you did get the first pancake, but I'll fight you, man to man, for the last piece of bacon!" Jimmy joked back once everyone had taken a fair share of the food.

"Not if I beat you first!" shouted Keith and Lucas, both lunging for the bacon at the same time. This was met once again with laughter, as Nathan and Jimmy got involved with trying to win it.

"Victorious!" shouted Lucas, proudly presenting the bacon on the end of the fork. The men argued amongst themselves about how he'd cheated and tricked them out of it, all in good fun. Haley looked around the table and smiled to herself. As crazy as her life was, and as annoyed as she got sometimes, she loved it and she wouldn't have it any other way.

 **So we finally got to meet some of the others! Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter and like where the story is going.**

 **I would love to know what you all think or whether there's things you want to see happen, especially whether you want a Brucas or Leyton pairing, so please leave a review and let me know! :)**


	5. Chapter 5 - Anticipation

**Hi! So I'm back again with another chapter, I've definitely got the writing bug at the moment! Thank you again to all of those that reviewed and followed, I'm so glad you're all enjoying it, it makes it worth writing! I've gotten a few responses about the pairings and I think I know which direction I'm going to go in, hopefully you all like it when I eventually post it. I'm sorry if some of you feel as though its taking a little long getting to the point of where Naley first starts, but I promise it will be worth it, just a few more chapters to go! But for now, here's Chapter 5 & I hope you enjoy it! :)**

 **. .**

 **Chapter 5.**

The various conversations continued around the table as they finished the last of their food. Lydia rose from her chair, reaching for both the coffee pot and jug of juice.

"I suppose we'd better have a refill." She said, removing both and proceeding to top them both up.

"You know Karen, you really do have a talent for cooking! The food was great as usual!" Jimmy praised, while wiping his mouth with his napkin. "You should give Lydia some lessons on how to cook pancakes, she's useless at it" he said, laughing and looking over at his wife.

"Maybe you should learn to cook at all" she shot back, also beginning to laugh.

Haley smiled, she loved the relationship her parents had. They were always so loving towards each other, even their insults had an air of affection within them. She knew that what her parents had was special, that it was true love and only hoped that she could one day have the same. She continued smiling, becoming lost in her thoughts about the night before, unaware that it appeared as if she was smiling at her juice.

"That juice sure is making you happy Hales" Nathan pointed out, breaking the strained silence that had been present throughout breakfast amongst the three teenagers.

"Or maybe it's something else" Lucas shot back, giving his older brother a dirty look.

Haley blushed at Luke's comment and fidgeted in her seat. Nathan had only been trying to break the tension and make it not so obvious to the parents that something was wrong, but Lucas was making it hard for him to do so. She sensed that the parents would pick up on this, which they did.

"Luke, don't look at your brother like that, he was only having a joke with Haley" Karen scolded.

"I'm sure whatever's gone on between the two of you it's nothing you can't sort out" chipped in Keith. "Trust me, I know all about fights between brothers and I'm sure it's nothing."

"Probably sulking because I beat him at hoops last night, yet again" Nathan announced smugly, pouring himself another mug of coffee from the fresh pot.

"The only reason you won was because you cheated!" Lucas argued back, glaring once again across the table at Nathan. He noticed Haley entwining her fingers with the bottom of her shirt, something she did when she was anxious. He knew deep down it wasn't fair to take it out on them both like this, but he was still annoyed and disappointed, and it overpowered any other emotions he had.

"Lucas, what has gotten into you this morning?" Karen questioned, which a tone of shock in her voice. "This sort of behaviour is not acceptable, Lydia and Jimmy have kindly invited us to stay and on the third day, here you are, starting arguments across the table at breakfast!"

"I'm sorry Mom, I didn't mean to be rude, but…"

"No buts Lucas, just stop it, both of you!" She looked back and forth between the pair, Nathan still looking rather smug and Lucas pouting, looking down at his coffee. "Now then" she continued, the tension hanging heavily in the room, "maybe we should discuss the plans for tonight's party?"

"Ooh yes!" exclaimed Lydia, eagerly diverting the conversation from the boy's argument. "I was hoping that maybe you wouldn't mind cooking some light finger food while the gents perhaps did a barbeque outside?" she suggested, pausing momentarily to look from Karen to the two men.

"Of course you don't have to, we could always buy a couple of bits from that lovely little bakery in town later if you fancy having the night off from cooking" she quickly added.

"I really don't mind, I could do a few savoury bits for the finger buffet, but maybe we could buy a couple of cakes and a trifle from the bakery?" Karen suggested, sipping her mug of coffee.

"That's a great idea, that way we can spend more time getting ready and decorating the place before everyone arrives!" Lydia replied, the excitement obvious in her tone. "I've had a cake commissioned for Quinn at the bakery anyway so we'll have to collect that anyway. Deb's bringing Nic's cake from that new cake shop that's just opened in Tree Hill."

"Okay, we should definitely write a list before we go. Keith, could you get Lily ready to go please, while I write a list with Lydia?" asked Karen, smiling sweetly at Keith.

"Sure thing. Come on princess, let's go find your coat and shoes." He picked Lily up from her seat and carried out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

The two mothers began to write a list of everything they needed to get from the shops in the nearby town. Haley began browsing the celeb pages of the paper Keith had left on the table, while Lucas still sulked and continued to stir his coffee. Jimmy turned to Nathan, "So then kiddo, what time's your Dad getting here?"

"No idea, he said something last night about getting here late this afternoon, but knowing him he'll work late and probably end up getting here about ten" Nathan replied, his smug expression changing rather quickly. His relationship with his father had been slowly improving since his parents had finally filed for divorce and Deb had forced Dan to move out of the family home, but Dan was still the same guy deep down; dedicated to his job, controlling and often very little time for his two sons, except for when it involved basketball. Jimmy placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder, gently squeezing it, and smiled.

"It'll be okay kid, I'm sure he'll be on his best behaviour tonight."

"I sure do hope so." Nathan replied, almost at a whisper, before swigging the remainder of his coffee.

. .

 **So that's Chapter 5! As usual please leave me a review and let me know what you all thought, and if you do want to see certain pairings or have anything that you'd like to see written into the story then please let me know and I'll try my best!**


	6. Chapter 6 - I Can Do It Better

**Hi! I'm back again with another chapter for you lovely lot! Thank you for all your reviews etc on the last chapter, it's nice to see you're still enjoying it and are looking forward to Dan's arrival! This chapter is longer than the last one, but when I was writing it, it felt so much shorter! Anyways, this will probably be my last post until after Christmas, so I hope you all have a lovely time, whatever holiday you may or may not be celebrating and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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 **Chapter 6**

"Okay then kids, are you sure you can manage to do everything that needs to be done before we get back?" Karen questioned, pulling on a lightweight linen blazer.

"Yes Mom we'll be fine." Lucas replied, beginning to get a little impatient.

"Maybe I should go over the list again so you're absolutely certain you know what needs to be done," she fretted, heading towards the list on the sideboard in the hallway.

"Mom.." Lucas groaned, interrupted by Haley.

"I think we know everything we need to Karen, but if we are unsure, I'll ring." Haley smiled at Karen, smoothing down the bottom of her shirt.

"Okay.. But are you absolutely certain?" She asked, looking at the three teenagers all standing around in the hallway.

"Mom, we're more than capable, you're only going to be gone for a few hours, not a few years" Lucas shot back, the irritation thick and clear in his voice. Karen began to scold Lucas yet again for his tone and manners, but was cut short by Lydia popping her head around the front door.

"Karen, are you all set to go?" she asked, clearly unaware of the tension that was now lingering between Karen and Lucas.

"Yes, I was just making sure the kids knew what we needed them to do today" she replied, turning and smiling, catching Lucas rolling his eyes as she said it. She shot him a dirty look and continued.

"Right, well, we'd best get going." She reached for her handbag, "Haley, I'm going to leave you in charge, obviously these two can't be trusted to get along this morning, never mind being in control. Oh, and one more thing, whatever is going on between the three of you had best be sorted by tonight. And I mean by tonight!" She looked all three of them in the eyes, making it perfectly clear that she meant what she said.

Lydia re-emerged in the doorway. "Karen, I hate to be pushy, but Keith's starting to get a little impatient, and you know what he's like when he's impatient better than anyone," she spoke, laughing slightly.

Karen laughed and began to move towards the door. "I'm all set, and the kids are all sorted. We'll see you all later, any problems just ring," she shouted, closing the front door behind her.

"Finally!" Lucas exclaimed, pushing himself off the wall from where he had been leaning. "If I heard her go through that bloody list one more time I'd go mad." He chuckled slightly, "But then again, I guess you two already are mad." He looked at them both. Haley shuffled, and began staring at the floor, playing with the end of her shirt once again, evidently uncomfortable that he had brought it up so soon after the parents had left. Nathan however met his gaze and stood his ground, not intimidated by Lucas' comment.

"You know what Luke, just cut the crap, it's not needed." He stepped closer the Lucas, the distance closing in on them for the second time that morning. Lucas again matched this step before the two were practically chest to chest. Haley started towards them, willing them to part, pushing at both Nathan and Lucas. Nathan stepped back, much to Haley's approval.

"Or what? So it's fine for the two of you to go sneaking around, doing who knows what, but it's not fine for me to want answers or to think you're both crazy for doing so?" Luke exclaimed, raising his arms and letting them fall to his side dramatically.

"No, what isn't fine is taking this out on Haley. What isn't fine is you passing judgement on us when you're not exactly a saint yourself and it's certainly not okay for you to think that you can go demanding answers. Maybe ask yourself whether you'll actually get the answers you want by acting this way."

"I don't really see what my relationships, past or present, have got to do with this when we're talking about the two of you. It seems to be the only way either of you will talk to me about this is when I act like this! You certainly weren't willing to talk before this morning. Or maybe you'd start talking if – "

"Stop it, just stop it, both of you!" Haley shouted, the all too familiar lump rising in her throat. "I don't want there to be any fighting or arguing, I want us to just do what Karen asked us to do and then for us to have a nice afternoon." She looked back and forth between them, two separate sets of blue Scott eyes staring intently at her. "Please… For me… and for the sake of the party… can we just do everything on the list and talk about things later?"

Nathan nodded and looked towards Lucas, who paused momentarily. He sighed.

"Fine, let's just get the stupid list done. But as soon as we're done…"

"I know." Haley smiled at him. Lucas reached towards her and playfully pulled her into a sideways hug.

"So then boss, what's first on the list?" He questioned, looking down at her.

"Well… It's technically not on the list, but I think we should start by clearing the table, and then we can put everything on there and make a start" Haley replied, linking her arm around Luke's waist, as they began to follow Nathan into the kitchen.

"Okay, but Nate's drying the dishes!" Lucas joked, causing Nathan to laugh.

"Ha! You wish little brother!" Nathan spun round from where he was stood next to the dresser and grabbed a tea towel. He threw it towards Lucas. "There's your cloth, get wiping."

Lucas groaned. "But why do I always have to dry the plates and yet you just bring everything over here and then get to go and watch TV while we finish up?"

"Well you see, that's because I'm the oldest and I have more authority" Nathan shot back, smirking at his younger brother.

"Actually Haley has more authority… After all my Mom did leave her in charge." Lucas grinned as the smirk fell from Nathan's face.

"Yeah Nathan," Haley chipped in. "I was left in charge so I have the authority, and I don't feel like washing the plates, I feel like just clearing the table and then relaxing while my two favourite boys do all the rest. Now get to work!" She stared at Nathan, his eyes darkening with lust at her sudden control. She turned away, smiling. Today could be rather fun, she thought to herself.

Lucas continued to whine about his assigned job, with neither Haley nor Nathan replying. Haley moved into the utility, searching for cleaning cloths and polish, and attempted to reach up towards the higher shelves for the tin, but as usual everything was stored way above her height. She pondered for a moment, before deciding to use the stool in the corner to stand on. She turned around and was faced with a familiar torso. She looked up and was met with two deep blue eyes, still full of lust. Nathan smirked, sliding his hands onto her waist.

"Having trouble?" He questioned.

"A little. Nothing I can't solve though" she answered quietly. She began to move her hands along his muscular arms, before eventually wrapping her own arms around his neck.

"So you don't want my help then?"

"Maybe.. Or maybe I'm capable of doing it myself."

Nathan closed the very small gap between them and tilted his head down towards her. Haley responded exactly as he hoped, and their lips met. They tenderly kissed, before becoming more passionate. His hands moved higher up her back, pulling her closer, as his tongue searched for access to her mouth. Haley willingly allowed this and ran her hand through the back of his hair as the passion increased.

Nathan pulled away, leaving Haley a little surprised.

"Nate.." She whispered, willing for him to carry on kissing her.

He looked at her, deep brown eyes pleading for him to continue. He gently grazed her arm with his fingertips, something he knew drove her crazy when she was feeling needy. He once again moved his head towards hers, Haley expectantly closing her eyes.

"You wanna tease me Hales, that's fine. But just know I can do it better." He whispered into her ear, before nipping lightly at her earlobe. He heard her gasp slightly as he pulled away.

He reached for the tin and placed it on the countertop next to them. Without another word he walked back into the kitchen, ready to begin washing the plates.

 **So that's chapter 6! I hope you enjoyed it! As usual please let me know what you thought by reviewing and if there is anything you'd like to see please leave me your ideas in the reviews or PM me :)**


	7. Chapter 7 - Shopping & Gossip

**Hey! So I'm back with another chapter for you lovely lot, which I hope you will all like. I hope that you all had a good Christmas and got everything you asked for! I had hoped to post this before Christmas, but I was so busy I couldn't. This chapter is a little short (but hopefully still enjoyable) so I will be posting Chapter 8 a few minutes after posting this one. So for now, here's Chapter 7.**

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 **Chapter 7**

"Lydia, what do you think about this one?" Karen asked, tilting a large box of frozen party food towards Lydia, who was browsing at the desserts in a nearby freezer.

"Ooh, that one looks quite good!" she replied enthusiastically, pulling the rather full trolley towards the freezer at which Karen was stood. "How many people does that one cater for?"

"It doesn't say, there's sixty bits in the box, but I was thinking that maybe two of these would be enough, especially as we'll have the barbeque and other little nibbles. It doesn't take that long to cook either." Karen flipped the box, showing Lydia the cooking times.

"Hmm, maybe we should get three boxes just in case. I'm not sure whether Taylor is coming tonight with her new boyfriend, his name escapes me, there's been that many of them recently." Lydia laughed, thinking of her daughter's recent relationships, it seemed as if there was a new one every week.

"Oh, well I'm sure that he'll be lovely, they usually are!"

"Yeah.. That's the problem, they usually are lovely, until Taylor ends up getting bored."

The two women laughed, "Well, at least she's having her fun now before she's married with kids!" Karen said, making light of the situation.

"True, hopefully she settles down soon. It would be nice to see her in a stable relationship with a child, like Quinn."

"It'll be fine, she'll sort herself out."

"Yeah.. Anyway, back to the food, I think definitely three, if we don't use it tonight, we can always keep it in the freezer until we come back in summer." Lydia suggested.

"Definitely a good idea. Well, that's if it lasts the rest of the week if Lucas and Nathan find it!"

The two women laughed once again.

"If we're definitely decided on these, then the only things left on the list are the desserts and some dips to go with the food."

"Ooh there were some lovely gateaus over here.." Lydia said, excitedly rushing towards the freezers containing the cakes. Karen smiled, shaking her head slightly. That was one of the things she loved about Lydia, her childish, excitable nature. She was certain that was why the two of them had remained best friends for so long, they balanced each other out, Lydia with her fun loving ways and Karen with her grounded and more practical mind.

The two of them spent a while longer browsing and choosing desserts and eventually made their way to the checkouts. After exiting the store, they made their way to car and loaded the bags of groceries into the boot.

"Looks like the boys and Lily aren't back yet." Karen stated, looking across towards the nearby park. She glanced down at her wristwatch. "I say we have about another hour left before they will want lunch, how about we go and do some shopping, maybe find something new for tonight?"

"You only have to suggest shopping once Karen, lunch can wait!" Lydia cheerfully replied, linking arms with Karen, as they began walking towards the small row of small boutique stores. "Now, which shop are we starting in?"

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 **So that's Chapter 7! Hopefully you liked it despite it being short. Reviews for the last chapter were a little less than the chapters before, so I'm not sure whether some of you didn't like the chapter or didn't want to review, but whether you liked the chapter or not, please let me know! Also as usual, if there's anything you'd like to see or want writing within the story please let me know in either the reviews or PM me and I'll try my best! :)**


	8. Chapter 8 - Brotherly Bond

**So as promised, I am posting Chapter 8 just minutes after posting Chapter 7.**

 **This chapter is my longest chapter so far I think, and hopefully makes up for Chapter 7 being so short. Hopefully you like how this chapter develops and feel like you get to know the background to the characters a little more, without giving too much away.**

 **I'd love to get to know a few more of you that are reading, I like talking to the few people I do talk to on here but it would be great to talk to a few more of you! Oh, and also Chapter 9 should hopefully be up fairly soon for you all!**

 **Anyways, here's Chapter 8.**

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 **Chapter 8**

Lucas held the lengthy list that had been discarded on the dresser, scanning it briefly. "Looks like we're almost done!" He smiled at Haley and offered her the list to check. She scrutinised it closely, double checking what had been done.

"The only things that are left are putting table cloths on the buffet tables in the dining room and cleaning the living room, hallway and downstairs bathroom."

"Well that's me done then, I still need to do some training, I don't get a day off because there's a party you know" Nathan replied. "Plus cleaning's a woman's job, right Luke?"

"Yeah sure is. Might join you for a game of hoops. We've gotta' keep these fine Scott bodies in shape!" Lucas said, joining Nathan in teasing Haley.

Haley looked up from the list and glared at the two. "Well if cleaning's a woman's job then why haven't you already started?"

"Hey!" Lucas protested. "Nathan might be in touch with his feminine side, but I'm not!" He flexed his muscle, as if proving his masculinity. Nathan pushed him playfully.

"Yeah sure you are! I think Haley knows which one of us is the man and who isn't."

Haley could feel her cheeks begin to flush. "I… Er…" she began to stutter, feeling Nathan's gaze burning onto her skin. Damn, he certainly meant it when he said he could do it better.

Nathan smirked and started to speak some more, but was interrupted by Lucas.

"Wow man, too soon!" Lucas shook his head, smiling slightly. "Maybe save those kind of things for when I've actually managed to get my head around the fact there's something going on between the two of you."

Haley smiled, at least he seemed to be warming to the idea of her and Nathan, she thought.

"So if you two are willing to actually help for a bit longer, maybe we could do the cleaning together?" She suggested. "Or if you really want to, we could do one room each?"

"Maybe we should all do the living room" Nathan replied. "After all it's quite big, and it's not fair for one person to have to do it."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "As much as it pains me to say it, Nate is right. If we start in there first, we only have the hallway and downstairs bathroom to do, but the dining room could probably do with a hoover and quick dust too."

Haley looked down at the list once more. "Sounds like a plan. We'll decide who does what after we've finished the living room, but whoever does the dining room will have to do the table cloths too."

The boys nodded, agreed and the three of them set to work; polishing, dusting and hoovering.

About an hour and a half later all four rooms were clean. Nathan was the last one to flop down on the sofa, next to Haley, who had already turned the TV on and settled in her usual spot.

"Least that's finally done!" he spoke, breaking the silence between the three of them.

Haley continued to be engrossed in the TV, watching the remainder of the catch-up episode of her favourite show that she had recorded, completely ignoring Nathan.

Lucas looked across at Nathan. "We've got time to go and shoot the ball around if you fancy it? Everyone else shouldn't be back for another couple of hours."

Nathan looked back at Lucas, who had continued to be engrossed in whatever was on his phone, and then glanced at Haley who sat between the two of them, oblivious to the conversation. "Sure, doesn't look like this one's going to be much company!" He laughed, playfully ruffling her hair as he rose from his seat.

"Hey!" She protested, pulling her eyes away from the screen. "Where are you going?"

"Outside to play ball, you're not much fun when you're watching that." Nathan replied, nodding towards the TV screen.

"Oh, okay.. When this has finished I'll make a start on lunch and I'll give you a shout when it's ready."

"Alright. Luke, you coming?"

Lucas looked up from his phone once again. "Yeah, sorry" he replied, putting his phone in his pocket. "Give me a shout if you need any help with lunch" he said, looking at Haley.

Haley nodded, and returned to watching her programme. Lucas pushed himself out of his seat and the two made their way outside to the basketball hoop Keith had installed on the garage.

Once outside, the two boys began playing a one on one game, not really keeping a check on their scores. Nathan enjoyed it when he could play basketball for fun. As much as he loved playing a pressured game, with time limits and real opponents, he always felt a sense of freedom when he was able to play this way. Plus he got to spend time with his brother, without it leading to one of them sulking because the other had won or any arguments.

"So then.." he began, bouncing the ball a few times, before shooting what would be a three pointer. "What's going on with you, apart from being annoyed with me?"

"Nice shot!" Lucas praised as the ball sailed through the hoop. "Dunno what you mean. I'm not annoyed with you as such…. Well I suppose I am a bit.."

Lucas caught the ball as it bounced against the concrete ground. He continued to dribble the ball as he switched places with Nathan, ready to take his shot.

"You do know what I mean. You've been constantly checking your phone since we've got here, disappearing at least once a day, you seem your usual happy self, but like there's something on your mind." Nathan commented, eyeing his brother as he rose his arms, letting the ball fly towards the hoop.

Nathan held the ball under his arm after catching it as it bounced off the ground. He moved closer towards Lucas and the two of them took a seat on the steps of the side porch.

Lucas kicked at the peeling paint on the bottom step, avoiding Nathan's question.

"Luke.." Nathan's voice became sterner, pressing him to answer.

"I.. eugh… I don't know how to explain it." He began, sighing heavily as he leant forward, his arms propping him up. Could he tell him everything? No, today wasn't the best day to break the news to him, plus he'd tell Haley, who'd tell his mom and Keith, all of which needed to hear it from him and the hassle was just something he wasn't prepared for, not yet anyway.

"I guess I'm just missing her." He spoke softly.

Nathan moved the ball to sit between his feet and leant forward slightly, his arms resting on his legs. He smiled at his younger brother.

"Do you love her Luke?" he questioned.

"You know I do."

"Then why do you seem as if something's bothering you? You're really happy whenever there's any mention of her, you're obviously in love, yet you didn't want her to join you here and now you're complaining you miss her…."

"I know, I guess I just felt like it was too soon to bring her with me, to bring her to the place we've basically grown up in. This breaks always been about family time and I didn't want her to feel out of place or like she was intruding." Lucas looked down once again. He knew he was lying, of course it hadn't been too soon and she certainly wouldn't have felt out of place. He just hoped Nathan wouldn't notice it.

"I guess. But maybe that's what you need, time away from each other, time to really appreciate each other more, not as friends, but as a boyfriend and a girlfriend."

Lucas nodded, but it was obvious to Nathan there was something else bothering him.

"Luke, you would tell me if you still wanted – "

"Don't Nate." He interrupted, shaking his head slightly. "There's too much water under that bridge to go back there. It's taken long enough for us to get back to being friends, I can't risk anything again. Ever."

Nathan carefully watched his brother's expression. The pain and hurt was still clear in his eyes. It was true that he'd had a rocky past relationship to say the least, but they'd loved each other so passionately. The passion however had led to both of them becoming burnt, Lucas only acting out because of his hurt.

"You still have feelings for her don't you?"

Lucas didn't move, but it was clear from the way his eyes flickered down towards the ground once again that he did.

"It's okay if you do. It's okay to have a part of you that still loves and cares for her. But you can't let it get in the way of now and the future."

Lucas nodded once again. "When did you become the wise one?" he asked, giving his brother a half smile.

"You've obviously passed some of your knowledge on to me" Nathan replied, causing both of them to chuckle. A few minutes passed, and the two brothers sat in silence, just watching their surroundings. Behind them they could hear the sound of plates being moved and the opening and closing of the fridge, indicating that Haley was preparing lunch. Nathan decided to break the silence with more questions.

"Does she know that you still have feelings for….?"

"No, and she can't know. It'd hurt her far too much. I need to be the dependable one for her, especially with what's going on with her parents. She can't know Nate, she just can't." Lucas looked at Nathan, his expression pleading with him not to say anything. Nathan looked back at him, taking in the fear and sadness that was deep in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything, that's your place to. But I think maybe it's worth having a chat with her about it if you still feel the same way once everything has settled down. It's not fair to keep something like this from her, especially if you don't see a future where you could give her your all."

Lucas agreed, knowing deep down that Nathan was right. It wasn't fair on her, it was fair on himself, and it wasn't fair on anyone caught in the middle. He'd hoped that his feelings would diminish over time, but recently they'd become stronger again and he wasn't sure it was something he could keep suppressing.

The two continued to casually chat as Haley watched them from the window. She smiled, it was always lovely to watch them getting along so well. She turned around and finished preparing lunch. She'd made her speciality, grilled cheese toasties, with extra ingredients for the boys. She plated them up and covered them over, keeping them warm until she'd managed to get them both in. She walked over towards the door and opened it just enough to put the upper half of her body around it.

"Lunch is ready" she said, causing Lucas to jump slightly. Nathan turned to her and smiled.

"Okay, give us a sec." He said, picking up the ball and pulling it under his arm once more. Haley nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen. Nathan stood up and looked down towards his brother, offering him a hand. Lucas gratefully took it and hoisted himself up from the step.

As the two of them entered the kitchen Nathan dropped the ball by the door, keeping it in its usual daytime spot. Lucas had already plopped himself into his seat and Nathan began to take his as Haley brought over two plates of food. She placed the first one down in front of Lucas and the second in-front of Nathan before returning for her own food.

"I see you've made your speciality then!" Lucas said, grinning at Haley as she took her seat.

"Yeah, I figured that maybe we could do with some comfort food before we endure tonight." She replied laughing.

"Definitely!" Nathan exclaimed, before taking a bite from his toastie. "My god this tastes amazing!"

"They always do. What have you got on yours Nate?" Lucas asked, making conversation.

"Same as usual; ham, cheese and a bit of that paprika powder stuff" he replied, taking another large bite. "Wos on ors?" he asked with a mouthful of food.

"I'm guessing you mean 'what's on yours'?" Lucas asked.

"Nate, don't talk with your mouth full." Haley scolded, looking at him disapprovingly.

Nathan finished what food he had in his mouth and turned to Haley. "Wow, already nagging me! You're sounding more like my mom than my girlfriend!" he joked, causing Haley to glare at him and lightly hit him on the arm.

"Let's add abusive to the list too!" He added, pretending to be hurt.

"Shut up and eat your food" Haley shot back, playfully sticking her tongue out at him.

Lucas watched the two as they bickered. They did make quite a cute couple, and it certainly didn't go unnoticed with him that Nathan had called Haley his girlfriend.

"So Luke, what is on yours?" Nathan asked again, returning to the original subject.

"Ham and cheese but I've got pickle and mustard too." Lucas replied, finishing off his first slice.

The three of them continued to eat their lunch and chat for around half an hour, until Lucas brought up the topic of that morning once again.

"Okay, well now it's time to spill. I've given you until now and you did promise to tell me." He looked at Haley and then at Nathan. Once again, Haley had become nervous and began playing with the ends of her hair. She looked at Nathan, who smiled and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. She returned the smile and then diverted her attention back towards Lucas.

"Do you promise you're not going to freak out and get annoyed?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, as long as you tell me."

"And you won't tell any of the adults, least not until we've had a chance to talk to them?" She continued, beginning to ramble slightly.

"Of course I'm not going to say anything, you know as your best friend I'm required to keep any secrets." He replied, starting to become slightly irritated that she was stalling with her answer, but he knew this was a habit she had when she was nervous.

"Okay, well it all started when..."

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 **So there it is! So who is Luke dating and who is he still in love with? Hopefully you liked the interaction between Nate and Luke and weren't too annoyed with how I ended it! Haha!**

 **As usual please let me know what you thought by reviewing the chapter! Also if there's anything you'd like to see happen please get in touch by PM'ing me or by leaving a review, it would be lovely to hear from you! :)**


	9. Chapter 9 - A Welcome Interruption

**Hi!** **So I'm back with another chapter, which I hope you will all enjoy. It's been a while since I posted so I hope you all had a good Christmas and a happy new year.**

 **At the moment I have a lot of work for uni coming up, so I hope you all understand that updates may be slow, but I hope you don't lose interest and I will try to post at least 1 chapter a month.**

 **This chapter is a little long, but hopefully the Naley interaction makes up for it!**

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 **Chapter 9**

Haley was cut short, interrupted by a young voice filling the quietness of the hallway.

"Auntie Haley?"

Lucas looked at Haley, as if pressing her to ignore the voice and continue. She shook her head at him and let go of Nathan's hand. "I'm sorry.. I need to.." she trailed off, pushing herself up from her seat and walking into the hallway.

"Seriously?!" Lucas muttered, slumping slightly in his chair, obviously irritated by the sudden arrival of a visitor, just as he was about to get answers to the questions that had been on his mind all day.

Nathan looked across at him. "Luke, we'll carry this on later, maybe after the party, even if Haley doesn't want to."

Lucas looked up. "Doubt it, either one of you will freak out or we'll get interrupted again."

It was evident he was beginning to sulk, causing Nathan to chuckle. "Y'know, you used to pull that exact face everytime we used to play pirates and I wouldn't let you be the captain of the ship."

"Yeah well, you always had to be the best." Lucas shot back, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad you know it little brother" Nathan replied, matching his smile. "C'mon, let's go see who it is."

The two boys left the table and joined Haley in the hallway, Nathan slightly eager to see who had arrived.

Haley was crouched on the floor, hugging a small blonde haired boy.

"I've missed you so, so much!" She said to him, hugging him closer. As they broke free from the hug, he took a step back, and gave her a big smile, his big blue eyes full of life. "And look how big you've grown!"

"Dad said I'll soon be catching you up and that one day I'll be taller than you!" the young boy said proudly.

Before Haley could answer the small boy had spotted the two brothers joining them in the hallway.

"Lucas!" he shouted, running towards him.

"Hey buddy!" Lucas replied, giving the boy a quick hug.

"Hey Nathan" the boy said, looking across at him.

"S'up man, you been practicing those free throws and fadeaways?" he asked, picking him up and holding him in the air.

The boy squealed, laughing at how high he was. "Sure have! Look Auntie Haley, I'm taller than you."

Both Nathan and Lucas erupted into laughter at the boy's remark, especially when they caught the look on Haley's face. Nathan set the young boy back down on the floor and the boy proceeded to show Haley his new sneakers.

"Logan?" A voice shouted. "Where've you gone buddy?"

"I'm in here Mom!" he replied, grabbing hold of Haley's hand. "Come on Auntie Haley!" he insisted, dragging her towards the door.

Haley descended the small flight of steps onto the driveway, and was met by a tight hug.

"Oh Hales! I've missed you so much!" Haley stepped back and took her sister in. They'd always been the spitting image of each other, with their dark brown eyes, slim but curvaceous build and porcelain complexion. Haley smiled at her sister.

"It's so good to see you Quinn. Happy Birthday! I've missed you too, all of you!"

Quinn smiled and put her arm around Haley.

"Clay, look who we found!"

A sandy blonde haired guy looked over at them from the where he was pulling suitcases from the back of the car.

"Hi Haley! It's been a while!"

"It sure has!"

Clay continued to pull the last of the cases while the two sisters chatted, briefly catching up. Logan began trying to help Clay by pulling his suitcase towards the house. He reached the steps and struggled to lift it up.

From inside, where the boys had remained, giving Haley the opportunity to greet her family; Nathan spotted the young boy struggling and went to help him.

"Need a hand buddy?" he questioned, smiling at Logan.

"I think so, it's a bit heavy." He replied, flashing Nathan his big blue eyes. Nathan carried the suitcase inside and beckoned Lucas to join him in offering Clay some help. The two of them greeted Quinn and made their way over to the car.

"Hey guys! Great to see you!" Clay grinned, shaking their hands. "You two are both looking in great shape!" he commented, "Looking good enough for the big season you've got ahead!"

The three of them began discussing basketball and the season the Ravens would have when they returned to school as they began moving the bags into the hallway. During this time Haley, Quinn and Logan had made their way inside, with Haley making drinks for everyone. As the three boys made their way back to the car to get the last three bags, the parents arrived home, loaded with groceries and party items ready for the evening's celebrations.

After greeting Clay, Jimmy and Keith began unloading the car, while Karen and Lydia moved inside, taking a sleeping Lily with them. The men all stood around on the drive, mostly discussing sports, before eventually finishing up and themselves moving in to the kitchen.

The families spent a short time catching up with Quinn and Clay, while the children spent time outside. Haley sat on the porch steps, watching Lucas and Nathan play ball with Logan and Lily. She could tell that both Lucas and Nathan would make great fathers one day, and she was proud of the men they had become. She smiled, catching Nathan's eye, receiving a loving smile back.

A little while later, everyone was back inside, finalising the preparations for that evening. The two young children had been settled in front of the TV with cartoons and snacks, keeping them busy and out of the way of the adults, while Clay, Jimmy and Keith kept a close eye on them. Of course it didn't take long for their conversation to turn to sports, much to the amusement of Lydia and Karen, who were busy hanging a few extra decorations, such as streamers and balloons.

Haley had just stepped out of the shower and was making her way towards her dressing table, wrapped in her favourite fluffy dressing gown. Just as she sat down to dry her hair there was a soft knock at the door.

"Hales?"

Haley walked over to the door and opened it just enough for Nathan to move into the room. He looked at her, his blue eyes darkening slightly once again.

"God Hales, I swear you're tryna' kill me" he commented, taking in her natural beauty.

"What?" Haley asked, a little confused.

"You standing there, looking all hot and sexy as hell. And I know that under that robe you're naked.." He smirked, watching her cheeks turn a crimson colour.

"Nathan!" she protested, pulling the robe tighter around herself, evidently embarrassed by his comment.

"I can't help that you do things to me Haley James." He said, taking a few steps closer to her. He pulled her towards him, his hands resting between the small of her back and her hips. He looked down at her, and kissed her gently.

Haley smiled as the two broke away from each other. Nathan moved to sit on her bed, and held an outstretched arm towards her, signalling for her to join him. Haley moved towards the bed, taking his hand and sitting down next to him.

"Was there a reason for your visit or were you missing me too much?" she questioned, flirting with him.

"Both." He replied, his voice sincere. "I miss you when you're not around and I mean that." He continued to watch her expression closely.

"I miss you too when we're not together, but we've barely been apart these last few weeks."

"I don't just mean distance, I mean everything. When we're sleeping in separate beds I miss you, when I'm in class you're all I think about and how I want to be with you, when I see you at school I miss the feel of your hand in mine and the taste of your lips. I miss you whenever I'm not with you and I don't want to hide our relationship any longer. I meant it when I said I was in love with you Hales. I always have been and always will be."

He studied her face closely, anticipating that she would be apprehensive about telling everyone. Instead he was met with eyes that were filled with love.

"I love you too, and I do mean it when I say it. Always and forever" she replied, leaning towards him, placing her hands on his cheeks. The two shared a gentle but passionate kiss.

"As for telling everyone, we really need to start by explaining to Luke, and then we go from there" Nathan began.

Haley nodded. "Yeah… It's not Luke I'm worried about.."

Nathan embraced her, pulling her closer to him. Haley automatically responded by wrapping her arms around him.

"Forget everyone else, we don't need anyone who isn't happy for us. We love each other and nothing else matters."

Haley pulled away and smiled at him once again.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" she questioned.

"Just be you." He replied. "I have something for you, which was the second part of wanting to see you." He pulled out a square box in wrapped paper and handed it to her.

"Nathan…."

"Just open it…"

Haley unwrapped the box and lifted the lid, finding a gold charm bracelet inside. Gasping, she pulled it from the box to look at it properly. She noticed that nearly all the spaces for charms were full. Besides the usual standard 'lucky' charms like a horseshoe and a penny, Nathan had attached a book, a basketball, a musical note, an ice cream, a charm that resembled a Christmas tree, a house, a flower, a small heart, the number 3 and finally the number 23.

"Nathan, this is absolutely beautiful…" Haley began, a lump rising in her throat. A tear spilled over and ran down her cheek. Nathan gently wiped it away.

"Hey, don't cry. I wanted to make you happy…" he said, beginning to feel a little bit guilty that he made Haley cry.

"Nathan, these are happy tears, I can't believe you've got me something like this.. I can't accept this, it's far too expensive and I really don't deserve it."

"Every charm has a meaning, and I'm sure you'll work it out, as for deserving it, you're worth every last bit and more." He glanced towards the clock. "I'd better go and get ready, and so had you." He rose from the bed and kissed her gently on the forehead. He moved towards the door, opening it. He turned back to face Haley, still sat on her bed, clutching the bracelet.

"I love you." He said softly.

"Always…" she replied, looking up at him.

"And forever." He said as he left the room.

Haley remained seated on her bed for a while longer, still gazing at the bracelet. This was the first real gift Nathan had given her, except from small gifts on her birthday and at Christmas, that were usually bought by Deb. She didn't know whether it was the fact that Nathan had bought her something so precious or that he'd taken the time to choose something for her, for no reason at all, that made her appreciate his gesture all the more. She touched each charm again, some had an obvious meaning, others not so much. She knew she would understand what each one meant in time.

Placing the bracelet back into it's box, she returned to her dressing table. She set down the box next to a bottle of her favourite perfume, her crackerjack bracelet and a picture of all the families from a few Christmases ago. She glanced at the clock once more and realised how much time had passed since Nathan had left her to continue getting ready. As she was plugging in her hairdryer, she was met by another knock at her door. Sighing, she once again moved to the door and opened it.

Haley was met by a rather excitable Quinn, who had an armful of clothes and a carry case of makeup.

"I was thinking we could get ready together, like we used to!" She announced, flashing Haley a pearly white grin.

"Sure, I'm running a little late though, I've still not done my hair." Haley replied, moving out of the way of her sister, who had already made it to the bed. Throwing the clothes down onto Haley's bedspread, she turned, still grinning.

"That's fine, we'll just put the curlers in it and then let it mostly air dry." Quinn replied.

"Okay…" Haley agreed as Quinn made her way to the dressing table.

The two girls began getting ready, chatting and catching up as they did. Quinn asked Haley about school and her friends, while Haley caught up on Quinn's recent work and her relationship with Clay. Quinn was applying some light brown eyeshadow to Haley's eyes, when she turned to conversation to Nathan.

"So, how's things going?"

"With?"

"You know who with, Nathan of course!"

"Oh." Haley replied, caught a little off guard. "It's going okay."

"Just okay?" Quinn pressed, raising her eyebrow slightly.

"Fine, it's going more than okay, it's going perfect."

"But?"

"We've decided to tell everyone about us, and you know how it is when everyone gets involved." Haley replied, looking down towards her lap. Being with Nathan was one thing, but having everyone else's input made things a whole lot different, nothing would ever just be between them.

"Haley, you told me because you trust me right?"

Haley nodded.

"So trust me when I tell you this. Nothing will change between you and Nathan when everyone finds out. Mom and Dad are gonna' be so pleased, Luke will eventually come round, all your friends will get used to it and anyone else's opinon shouldn't matter. Nathan loves you Haley, it's so obvious! He isn't going to let anyone ruin this for the two of you, so trust what I'm telling you and trust Nate's instinct. 'Kay?"

Haley smiled and nodded once again. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I'm just a little scared that something's going to ruin it y'know? But I feel that now is the right time to tell everyone and so does Nate." She began to hug her sister. "Thank you for being there for me so much recently and for being so good with your advice."

Quinn embraced her sister back. "I wouldn't have it any other way. You know I'm here for you and you know you can trust me to keep a secret as big as this. I love you little sis."

"I love you too Quinny." Haley replied, the tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"Okay, okay, don't start crying, you'll set me off and then we'll have to redo our makeup which we really don't have time for!"

The two of them pulled away from each other and began to laugh, something they always did when trying to avoid a sentimental or emotional moment.

"Right then, let's get these curlers out and find you something amazing to wear."

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 **So that's chapter 9! Hopefully you all enjoyed it!**

 **I noticed that reviews were a little low for my last 2 chapters, I'm not sure whether this is because some of you didn't want to review, the timing of when I posted or that you didn't like it. Hopefully it's not the last one, but I love to find out what you all think, good or bad, so please leave me a review, especially if there's anything you'd like to see happen, it makes it all worth it.**

 **I promise that we are only 1/2 chapters (depending on length) away from finding out how Naley started, so I hope none of you are losing interest! Hopefully you'll find the wait worth it! :)**

 **Until next time..x**


	10. Chapter 10 - An Unexpected Arrival

**Hi! I'm so sorry it's taken me a very long time to post an update, I had so much work to do for uni, and a few months had passed before I knew it. I had a few chapters prepared to post but I wasn't 100% happy with them, so I didn't think it was fair for me to post them. Anyways, I'm back now, for the next few months at least, and I can't wait to get updating the story again!**

 **This chapter was originally longer, but I decided to split it into 2 chapters, so hopefully the second part of this will be up later this week! :)**

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 **Chapter 10 - An Unexpected Arrival**

"Stupid thing never works round here" Dan muttered to himself, trying to tune his radio back into the commentary of a basketball game. He continued pressing buttons, while keeping one hand on the wheel, glancing back and forth between the sound system and the road. He continued to do this for a few moments longer, before giving up. Annoyed, he slammed his hand onto the array of buttons, causing the radio to lose its saved settings and become stuck on a country music station. Just great, he thought to himself, the one thing he relied on to make the last leg of the long journey bearable had practically given up on him.

He returned to driving with both hands on the wheel, keeping his eyes trained on the road, knowing that up ahead the road became narrower and a bit trickier to drive along. Trees lined both sides of the road, giving the road a closed in feel. Occasionally a break of sunlight could be seen among the trees, but this was mostly a blur as Dan kept up his fairly high speed.

Maintaining a constant speed as he continued along the road, despite it becoming narrower, he began contemplating what his stay at the James' would bring. He had begun to see more of his family recently, often spending Sunday dinner with Keith, Karen and the kids. He knew that this was Keith's attempt to repair his broken relationship with both Lucas and Nathan, and for this he was grateful. It had been a while since he'd seen the Smiths however, and he wasn't particularly looking forward to it, with Jim and Shari pretending to be interested in whatever he had to say. Dan sighed, shaking his head slightly and chuckled at the thought of the typical behaviour of the Smiths. It was always the same. Yet again they'd probably just be after a discount on their latest car or a free ticket to the annual basketball gala.

Ascending the steep slope towards the cabin, Dan felt a familiar sense of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. He was not one to admit he got nervous often, if at all, but then he was good at hiding his emotions. He was unsure as to whether his apprehension was because he'd be spending time with his boys, no doubt doing an activity Keith had arranged, or whether it was being so far from everything so familiar. He would be exactly 4 hours and 27 minutes away from Tree Hill. Here there would be no easy exit, no chance of a swift goodbye before heading home, if any tension was to arise.

Dan glanced in his rear view mirror, the last sign for the nearby town disappearing as he continued to make his way towards the cabin. He had a bad feeling about this, as if something unexpected was going to happen. He took a sharp intake of breath, before exhaling through his nose, something his counsellor had taught him to do when nervous or angered. At least he'd gained one thing from the ridiculously expensive sessions, he thought.

He slowed as he noticed the gateway to the drive of the James' cabin, and turned into it, travelling the short distance from the road to the parking area. He emerged through the trees, catching a glimpse of the top of the cabin first, before the rest came into view. There on the porch was his brother and Jimmy, both sipping a beer, no doubt already cooking for the celebrations that evening. He stopped the car and got out, taking in the strong smell of the pine trees.

"Danny!" Keith shouted, descending the steps towards him. "So glad you made it, I was starting to think you weren't coming." Keith placed a hand on Dan's shoulder.

"I told you I was coming, so I'm here. I just had a few things to sort at the dealership before I left for a couple of days, you know how it is."

"I sure do, never one to leave work unfinished. Here, let me help you with your bags."

Dan pulled a leather weekend bag from the boot and placed it on the ground. Next he pulled out a cardboard box, containing a diary and a couple of files and assorted paperwork. He handed it to Keith, before taking out a parcel, wrapped in pink paper.

"You didn't seriously bring your work with you did you?" Keith questioned, raising an eyebrow before making his way towards the door.

"Just a bit of bed time reading, nothing too serious" Dan replied, chuckling to himself. He locked his car and made his way into the house, following Keith closely behind.

Keith placed the box of paperwork at the bottom of the stairs, before making his way into the kitchen. Dropping his bag on top of the box, Dan continued to follow him, unsure of the reception he would get should he walk in on his own.

"Look who I found outside!" Keith shouted, as they both entered. Inside the kitchen was Karen, Lydia, Clay, Lily, Logan, Quinn and Jimmy, who had moved inside upon Dan's arrival. The adults moved to greet Dan, embracing him, or a handshake where appropriate. Dan passed the present he held to Quinn, who gratefully accepted.

"Happy Birthday Quinn, and might I say what a beautiful young woman you've grown to be from that little girl I once knew" Dan said. "I see you're already dressed for tonight!"

"Thank you Dan! You really didn't have to get me anything, it's so thoughtful of you to do so! Yep, Clay bought me my dress and I just couldn't wait to get it on!" Quinn replied, taking the parcel towards the table, while smiling lovingly at Clay. "I hope you don't mind, but I won't open this now, I'll put it with all the other gifts."

"Well the man has good taste! Of course, I hope you like it!" He replied, smiling at both of them.

"Do sit down Dan, can I get you a drink, something light to eat? I'm sure you must need something after travelling" Lydia said, fussing slightly.

Dan pulled out a chair, sitting down at the table. "A coffee would be nice, I could do with the caffeine!" he laughed.

Lydia chuckled. "Of course, I'm sure I've got a few biscuits somewhere too."

She moved away towards the kettle, leaving Dan among numerous conversations. He turned to Lily who sat hunched over a colouring book.

"Now then, how's my favourite niece?"

A couple of hours later and the party was in full swing. Everyone had freshened up and was dressed in their party attire, the buffet table was laid out with a beautiful spread of food and decorations adorned the downstairs of the house. Lily and Logan were playing in the living room, with a few other children that were attending with their parents, while the adults circulated between both the living room and the dining room.

The buzz of chatter was drowning out the low music, with different conversations happening all around. Nathan, Lucas, Tim and William all stood in one corner of the dining room, with a beer in their hands, talking about sports. Every so often Nathan would glance around the room, searching for Haley.

"So Nate, Tim tells me you're applying for Duke" said Will, looking at Nathan in admiration.

Nathan smiled to himself, sometimes it seemed as if Will looked up to Nathan as more of a brother than Tim, but then again Tim was hardly a role model. "Yeah I am, hopefully I'll get a place, but if not there's plenty of colleges that will be fighting over me. Isn't that right Luke?" He looked sideways at Lucas, who suddenly snapped back in to the conversation.

"Huh? Sorry man, I was just thinking about something…" he trailed off, looking down towards is drink.

Tim laughed goofily, "Luke's drunk already, better not challenge him to a drinking contest, he'll probably be on the floor after another bottle!"

"Well at least I can get a girlfriend… Let's see, who exactly have you dated again?" Lucas spat back, glowering at him. William began to shift uneasily, looking at the two boys. It was obvious that this could blow out of proportion if it wasn't dealt with soon.

"Luke, calm down, he only meant it as a joke. You know what Tim's like. Why don't you go and get some air?" Nathan said, placing his hand on Luke's shoulder. Lucas nodded, and retreated to the safety of outside. Nathan glanced around the room again. Half the people here he didn't recognise, he was sure he hadn't met most of them before. Swigging his beer he thought hard as he studied the remainder of the numerous faces; some he had seen on photos, some he recognised from around Tree Hill and some were part of the James' family.

He continued to search through the mass of people, looking for Haley. He finally spotted her, stood talking to her Aunt Florrie and Uncle Joe. He watched her interacting with the couple, charisma and beauty just oozed from her. Damn she was looking beautiful tonight! He smiled to himself, before scanning the doorway. He made eye contact with his father, who was stood in the hallway, and they shared a simple smile and nodded. This was better than it had been for the last few years. Sure their relationship wasn't perfect, but they were working on it and Dan was trying with both him and Lucas, something which Nathan admired greatly.

"I'll be back in a minute, I'm just gonna' go say hi to my dad" he spoke, walking away from Tim and Will, who were engrossed in a conversation about which of the women was the hottest. The two boys nodded in acknowledgement, and Nathan pushed his way past groups of people. Just as he reached his father he heard a shrill, familiar voice.

"Karen! How lovely to see you! How kind it was for you to invite us!"

Nathan glanced at his father, who had become rigid and had abruptly ended his conversation with Jim Smith. Dan turned and faced the woman standing in the doorway, currently hugging Karen.

"Well, well, if it isn't the local whore!" he spat. A few bystanders turned to look, most probably hoping for some drama to fuel their conversations with gossip.

"Hello Dan. I'm surprised you're here, especially in such close proximity of both your sons. But then I guess there's a first for everything." Deb smiled, removing her fur shawl, revealing a stunning red midi dress. She handed the shawl to the man behind her, who hung it on the already full coat stand. Deb stopped and turned, holding an outstretched hand to the man, and started walking towards the others. The buzz in the hallway had died to quiet murmurs, creating a tense atmosphere. Dan gritted his teeth, anger starting to rise through him.

"I'm a changed man, but then I guess you have to change when your wife has an affair with her PA and then abandons her husband and son for a new life."

"Oh grow up Dan, I didn't abandon you, you were more than capable of looking after yourself, as you reminded me numerous times throughout our marriage. And as for Nathan, you had too much control over him that I couldn't have taken him with me, you never would have let me!" Deb moved closer to Nathan.

"Sweetie, don't listen to what your dad says, I didn't abandon you." She reached around her son, attempting to embrace him. Nathan kept his arms by his side, his eyes trained on the man stood behind Deb, looking rather awkwardly at the three of them.

"Mom, you did. I went to bed and you were there, I woke up and you'd gone. You didn't even say goodbye! You left your husband, you left your home, you left me! All for what? A quick fling with a guy you barely knew." Nathan had begun shouting, the hurt thick in his voice. Silence filled the hallway, and quite a few of the guests in both the living and dining room were trying to see what was going on.

"Nathan, you know I had my reasons for doing what I did, I wasn't happy and Nicholas made me happy." Deb took the hand of the man behind her. He looked at both Nathan and Dan, with a slight element of fear in his eyes.

Dan scoffed. "You weren't happy? You had everything you needed, everything you wanted and more, yet that still wasn't enough. You still walked away from your son, your marriage, your home and your life."

A few family members had joined the hallway, while Keith and Jimmy ushered some of the guests back into the rooms. Lydia, Haley and Lucas had joined the group of people in the hallway during the argument and remained by the kitchen door, just in case their help should be needed.

"Well you'd know all about walking away from your son wouldn't you Dan?" Deb sneered, shooting a glance towards Luke.

Keith interrupted. "Deb, I don't think now is the time nor the place for this, and it certainly isn't fair bringing Lucas into this."

"Oh shut up Keith, you always were the martyr." Deb glanced back at Nathan, reaching for him once more. "Nathan, you have to understand."

"No Mom. You don't get to do this. You don't get to walk in and out of my life when you feel like it. I've not seen you in over 3 months, after you turning up at one of my games with him" Nathan replied, gesturing towards Nicholas.

"Nathan please.."

"No." Dan interjected. "You might have been unhappy with me but you shouldn't have taken it out on Nathan. I think it's best if you leave."

"Why should I? Just because you tell me to? Well guess what Dan, those days are long gone."

Nathan looked at his mother, with sadness in his eyes. "No, because I want you to." He moved past his mother and retreated upstairs to his room.

Deb's eyes followed her son. She shook her head and turned to Dan.

"Well, you've poisoned him against me, I hope you're happy!"

"You did that all by yourself Deb. You only have yourself to thank for the mess you created." Dan replied. He met Nicholas' gaze. "I suggest you take her home before she wrecks everybody else's lives."

Nicholas began to lightly pull Debs towards the door. "Come on, I think its best we do go, we'll find a nice restaurant or something instead." He hesitated for a moment, nodding towards Keith. "This gentleman is right, this isn't the time nor the place for this."

Deb huffed and turned, strutting towards the front door. "Don't you think this is the last of this Dan, it's far from it. I'm going to make sure I bring you down!" She turned on her heel and left. Nicholas apologised and thanked Karen for the invite, before quickly exiting himself.

Karen walked towards Dan, who was evidently fuming.

"I'm so sorry Dan, I didn't realise inviting her would cause such trouble. She led me to believe that you had both spoken and had agreed to be civil for Nathan's sake."

Dan smiled weakly at Karen. "It's not your fault, you weren't to know. She's got a gift for deceiving people."

They all hesitated for a moment, none of them quite sure what to do.

"Anyway," Dan started, "Let's get this party going again!" He smiled at his brother and the two entered the dining room, followed by the rest.

The atmosphere had changed, with people mostly gossiping. Dan caught everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to apologise for what you've just had to witness from my crazy ex-wife. That should not have happened, especially on such a special night for Quinn," he said, gesturing towards the birthday girl.

Lucas leant closer to Haley, as Dan continued. "Are you going to go see if he's okay, or do you want me to go up?"

Haley bit her lip, obviously anxious about what would happen next. "I probably should go up. If I need you I'll either come and find you or text you."

Lucas smiled and nodded. She hesitated for a moment before turning and walking towards the stairs. Lucas moved closer towards Keith, in an attempt to hear the last of Dan's speech.

"So ladies and gentlemen, I hope you'll all join me in a toast. Quinn, you've grown into a strong, beautiful, intelligent young lady, and I hope you'll forgive me." Dan rose a glass of champagne. "Happy birthday Quinn, here's to many more happy years!"

Everyone joined in the toast, before Jimmy started. "Now I have a speech prepared, but not until we bring the cake in, so I'd like to just thank Dan for his lovely speech and wish my amazing daughter a very happy birthday, and I hope you will all continue to join in the celebrations, so let's party!" A few cheers were heard, alongside the clinks of bottles and glasses, as the buzz of the room regained its previous state, everyone getting back into the party spirit.

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 **So that was Chapter 10! As I said at the top, the second part to this should be up later this week and hopefully you'll like the major Naley scene in it! Please let me know what you thought of this part, or if there's anything you'd like to see happen in the story and I'll try my best to make it happen. I am still taking suggestions as to the Brucas or Leyton pairing, so let me know which one you'd prefer!**


	11. Chapter 11 - The Fire In His Eyes

**Hi!**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and welcomed me back, it made me realise just how much I'd missed you all and writing! I may have got the writing bug back after reading some of your lovely reviews!**

 **I did however receive a review telling me that I would cause arguments between Leyton and Brucas fans, by me asking what people preferred. I'm sorry if anyone else felt like this, but I just wanted to get you all involved in the writing. I will keep asking for your opinions on things, but I'll try and keep it away from pairings.**

 **Anyway, I've decided that I'm going to post every Sunday night, so you know when to expect a chapter, but if I have time I may update during the week too.**

 **Hopefully you enjoy this chapter, it's very Naley based and I know a lot of you were looking forward to more Naley, so here it is! :)**

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 **Chapter 11 – The Fire In His Eyes**

Nathan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't make sense of what had played out downstairs. Spinning his basketball between his hands, he kept thinking about the questions he wanted and needed answers to. Why had his mom left him? Why didn't she ask him to go with her? Why did she need to turn up tonight, knowing it would cause trouble? His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at his door.

He looked over at the doorway, as the door began to open. Haley entered the room and closed the door behind her. He placed his basketball onto the duvet and propped himself up on his elbows.

"Hey" she whispered, leaning against the closed door. She gave Nathan a weak smile, unsure of what his response would be. "I thought I'd come check on you, y'know, make sure you were okay after…" She trailed off, not wanting to anger or upset him anymore.

Nathan smiled. He swung his legs onto the floor and pushed himself off the bed. He walked over to Haley, her eyes desperately trying to read him. He outstretched a hand, willing her to take it. Haley gently took his hand in hers. Her eyes were still searching his face for some sign of emotion, the worry evident in her own.

"Nate.." she began, interrupted by his arms circling her body, pulling her towards his muscular torso. She wrapped her arms around him, further closing the already non-existent gap between them. He kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you" he whispered, barely loud enough for Haley to hear. His arms loosened around her and she let go of him, taking a step back.

"What for?" she questioned.

"For making sure I was okay, for just being here for me, for making me happy, for just being you." He replied, entwining his fingers with hers.

Haley smiled up at him, taking in his deep blue eyes that were looking at her with so much love. "You don't need to thank me silly, it's part of what I'm supposed to do, as a friend and as a girlfriend."

Nathan smirked. "There's a lot of things you're supposed to do as a girlfriend Miss James." He took a step closer to her.

"Oh really? Like what?" she replied flirtatiously, taking a step back so she was against the wall.

Nathan continued to smirk and once again closed the gap between them, placing his hand on the wall above her right shoulder. "Well, you're supposed to be kind and caring, you're supposed to love me, you're supposed to kiss me..." He trailed off as he leant down and kissed her. The kiss was gentle and tender at first, before becoming much more passionate.

Haley wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. His body moved closer to her, trapping her between his torso and the wall. He pulled away as air became an issue for the pair. "God, you're so hot Hales" he breathed, planting gentle kisses along her jawline.

She let out a shallow breath, knowing that he was planning on attacking her weak spot. "You're not so bad yourself" she murmured, clutching the back of his shirt in her fists. Nathan chuckled as he made his way along her neck, reaching her collar bone.

"The things I could and would do to you right now" he muttered as he moved his way back her neck towards her ear. He could feel her tremble slightly from his touch, knowing that she was anticipating his every move. He stopped and pulled away, leading her towards his bed.

"Nathan we can't…. My parents…." Haley began, still slightly breathless.

"I just want to lie here, with you, just for a little while..." he spoke softly, placing his hands on her hips. "And if that leads to a little bit of making out, then who are we to argue?" he continued, smirking slightly.

Haley bit her lip, pausing for a few moments. "Okay just for a little while, because we need to be back downstairs before the speeches and cake cutting, and before anyone realises we're gone."

Nathan sat down on the bed, and reached for her hand, pulling her towards him.

"Oh and one more thing" she replied, with an edge of assertiveness.

"Anything for you" he replied.

"Do not mess up my hair, I have to look my best for the photos."

Nathan laughed. "I can tell you've been spending time with Brooke" he joked.

Haley smiled, "oh shut up and kiss me" she shot back, before straddling him.

The two continued to make out for a little while, kissing softly. Nathan moved his hand from the back of Haley's neck, slowly down her spine. He cupped her ass cheek, squeezing slightly. Haley gasped and ground herself into his crotch. His hand continued travelling down onto her thigh, before moving back up and under her dress. He began to trace the outline of her thong, before hooking his thumb under the side. The two continued kissing, and Haley began to run her hand along the upper part of his chest and in his hair. She could feel his hardness under her and she began to move slowly, teasing him slightly. Nathan let out a gentle groan, causing her to apply more pressure.

"Fuck Hales..." he muttered between kisses. His hand moved along the edge of her thong towards the front, and he gently began to move his fingers between the fabric and her skin. He loved how smooth and soft she was. He slowly began to turn, lowering her onto the bed, giving him easier access. He moved his hand further down and began to tease her. Haley began to make soft groans and gasps as his fingers worked her body. Kissing her neck gently, he knew that he could make her climax soon, but he wasn't going to. He began to take his hand away and moved further up her body, tracing patterns on her stomach.

Arching her back slightly, Haley moaned. "Please Nate," she begged, her shallow breaths indicating that she was close.

"I told you I could tease you better" he replied.

She reached down and undid the zip on his jeans. Sliding a hand under the waistband of his jeans, she wrapped a hand around him. Slowly pumping him, she began to gently kiss his jaw. "You wanna' bet?" she questioned.

Nathan groaned, and moved his hand lower. He flicked gently over her clit, causing Haley to arch her back. "Nate..." she breathed. "I need you so bad..." She began to pull at his boxers, willing them to go down. He stopped his teasing for a moment and took his jeans and boxers off. He knelt on the bed, and opened her legs, positioning himself at her opening. He looked at her, searching for approval. Haley smiled. "Please Nate..." He teased her slightly with his tip, before pushing himself deep into her. Haley gasped, clutching him to her, taking in his fullness. He paused momentarily, allowing her to relax again, before he started to move inside of her, building up a regular rhythm. Haley moaned softly, as Nathan began to suck on her neck, marking her.

"Nate, I'm so close" Haley panted, feeling that familiar feeling.

"Just hold on a bit longer" he replied, knowing that he was close himself.

He continued to build up his rhythm and speed, knowing that he would climax faster. He knew he was ready, and thrust deeply into Haley, causing them both to reach their climax. The two sounded breathless as they rode out their climax together, holding each other closely. After it had subsided, Nathan rolled to the side of Haley. "I certainly wasn't expecting that!" he chuckled, looking at her lying there, breathing heavily.

"Me neither, and as much as I enjoyed it, we really should go back downstairs" she replied. Nathan sighed.

"Almost got away with it didn't I?" he smirked, glancing across at her.

Haley laughed and sat up. "Almost, now come on, get dressed" she said, swatting at him as he attempted to pull her back down towards him.

"Aww, do we have to? I like it here" Nathan whined, pouting slightly.

"You can pout all you want, but I don't think it would work when my dad comes up and finds you" Haley replied, knowing that the thought scared Nathan a little.

Nathan sat up, laughing at the thought of Jimmy's reaction, before reaching to the floor where his jeans and boxers lay.

Haley stood up and adjusted her dress, and made her way towards the mirror to fix her hair. She glanced back towards the bed and saw Nathan pulling on his boxers, while watching her. The two smiled at each other, before continuing to fix themselves up.

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 **So that was Chapter 11! Hopefully you all enjoyed it, and we are a lot closer to beginning to find out how Nathan and Haley became Naley! I'm so excited to share more of the story with you all!**

 **I read all reviews and it usually makes me really want to write more, so please let me know what you all think, or if there's anything you'd like to see in this story.**


	12. Chapter 12 - Revelations

**Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I wasn't completely happy with the chapter and wanted to do a few little tweaks before posting, but here it finally is!**

 **I won't be posting this weekend as it's my birthday, but I will try to post at some point during the week, but it will most likely be the 17th that I next post a chapter.**

 **The next chapter will be the last one before we find out how Haley and Nathan became a couple, but for now, I hope you enjoy this one! :)**

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 **Chapter 12 – Revelations**

Lucas glanced over his shoulder towards the stairs and then down at his watch.

'Haley's been gone for a while, hopefully everything's okay up there' he thought to himself.

A shrill tapping on a glass caught his attention, as Jimmy James stood by the fireplace in the dining room ready to begin his speech.

"If I could have your attention please," he started. "As you all know, we're here tonight to celebrate my beautiful daughter's 25th birthday."

Jimmy continued his speech, talking about Quinn as a child and how she'd grown into the woman she was today, occasionally tearing up at a special memory. The room was filled with 'awws' and laughter at the stories, accompanied by Quinn blushing.

Standing at the back of the room, Lucas smiled to himself. So many of these stories were familiar to him, often taking place here at the cabin. He looked over at his mother and Keith, the perfect couple, smiling, with Lily stood by their side. One day this will be Keith making a speech and sharing the stories of Lily's childhood. The thought scared him, sure she was still young, but before anyone knows it, she'll be starting high school, with the problems that come with it, especially the boys.

Lucas chuckled, his thoughts coinciding with a story Jimmy was telling of how Quinn's brothers scared away her high school boyfriends. He wouldn't be like that, but he would protect his sister, just like he would Haley. His thoughts were interrupted by the feel of a hand on his back, causing him to jump slightly.

"Hey" Haley whispered, smiling at him as he turned to see who it was. "Did we miss much?"

"Not really, your dad was just telling some stories about Quinn when she was younger, you've probably heard them all before" he replied, matching her smile. He noticed her hair was slightly messed up and the red mark on her neck, causing his smile to fade.

"What took you so long?" he questioned.

"Oh, I…. erm…" Haley started, looking slightly startled.

"I was still feeling a bit wound up, so she just listened to me talk" Nathan interrupted.

Lucas glanced at him. "Oh right, you okay now man?"

"Yeah kinda" Nathan replied, placing his hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Good, oh and you might want to wipe the lipstick off your neck" Lucas responded, smirking at Nathan.

Nathan blushed and quickly wiped his neck with his hand, and began listening to the end of Jimmy's speech.

A short while later the cake had been cut and photos had been taken. Besides the usual James family photos, they had included the Scott's and then asked the photographer to continue walking round taking photos of the guests.

Lucas had made his way into the kitchen, looking for another beer in the fridge. He tutted at the empty box, closing the door with a little frustration. He turned and was met by Nathan holding out a bottle towards him.

"Thanks" he said, taking the bottle from his brother and swigging the cool ale inside.

"Karen moved them into the other room earlier, she thought it would be easier in there" Nathan said, explaining the lack of beer in the fridge.

"Oh right, makes sense I suppose" Luke replied, looking down at the bottle. "It's funny isn't it?"

"What is?"

"How we have so many hopes and dreams, and in a second they can be taken from us…" Luke replied, sadness flashing across his eyes.

"Luke, why are you talking like this? You've still got another year before applying to college, you can get a scholarship for basketball and still take the literature course you wanted to do" Nathan replied, looking slightly confused at his younger brother. "Brooke isn't pregnant is she? Because you know, you can both still go to college and all that, you can make it work..." Nathan continued, jumping to conclusions.

"Nah, things haven't been too good in that bit of our relationship recently. Or in most of it come to think of it. I thought coming here without her would make us closer, but I've never felt more wrong" Lucas replied, sighing at the thought of his rapidly deteriorating relationship.

"Dude, get your head out of your ass. You're dating Brooke Davis, how can things not be going well? She adores you and would do anything for you, you need to stop pushing her away." Nathan began to feel slightly angered. He'd always been fairly close to Brooke, with her being the head cheerleader and him the captain of the basketball team, and felt a little bit protective of her, especially when it involved boys. She was the sister he'd never had. Nathan shook his head, and stepped out onto the side porch. The cool night air hit him, it felt refreshing; he always liked it like this. He felt Lucas join him.

"Nate, you don't understand."

"I do Luke, I do. I get it, you're scared because you're in love, and you're scared you're going to get hurt again, but she's not like that. You're the one who hurt her and she took you back despite it. If you don't want to be with her, tell her."

"That's the thing though, I do want to be with her, but…" Lucas trailed off, looking down at the bottle again.

"But?" Nathan asked, pressing for him to continue.

"I'm only going to hurt her. She's hurting enough right now, I don't need to add to that" Lucas continued, sighing once again.

"This is because of Peyton isn't it? I knew that you becoming friends again was a bad idea. How could you be so stupid Luke after everything that happened between you?!" Nathan started, lecturing Luke on his past relationship with Peyton. The thought of Lucas going back to that kind of relationship angered him and he continued, not allowing Lucas to interrupt him.

Dan stood in the kitchen, by the cupboard. He couldn't see his two sons, but he could hear them arguing, or rather Nathan lecturing Lucas. They reminded him so much of himself and Keith, when they were younger, before basketball got in the way. He hoped that this wasn't a case of a girl getting between them, they were too close for that and, more importantly, they were brothers.

"Hey Mr Sco-"Haley started, cut off by Dan gesturing for her to stay quiet. He pointed towards the door, silently telling Haley that the two boys were on the porch arguing. Haley nodded and remained by Dan's side, listening to the conversation.

"So tell me Luke, why would you even consider going back to Peyton?" Nathan said, finishing his lecture.

Haley looked up at Dan slightly worried, who glanced back and gave her a reassuring smile. Lucas hadn't mentioned anything to her about wanting Peyton back, but it was evident from Nathan's tone that he was angry and that it seemed a possibility.

"Will you let me speak?" Lucas said, becoming slightly angered, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.

"Why should I? Just so you can tell me how perfect everything is and how you still love her? Well I'm sorry Luke, but I can't watch you throw away something perfectly good for-"

"I have HCM," Lucas shouted, cutting Nathan off. He let out a small sob. "I have HCM."

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 **So now we know why Lucas has been so pre-occupied!**

 **Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, please leave me a review and let me know what you all think!**

 **Until next time...**


	13. Chapter 13 - Troubled Thoughts

**Hi everyone! I'm back with another chapter for you all, which hopefully you'll all enjoy, even if it is a little long!**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, you really made me want to finish this chapter! I had hoped to get this chapter up earlier in the week, but I just couldn't get the ending to be how I wanted it. However, I managed to do it & here it is! **

**I had a PM asking me about the ages of Nathan and Lucas and I thought I should probably tell you (I'd completely forgotten to do it!)**

 **Main character wise Nathan is a Senior, Haley and Lucas are Juniors.**

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 **Chapter 13 – Troubled Thoughts**

Nathan stared at his brother, his words ringing through his ears.

 _"_ _I have HCM."_

He stared at his brother, broken, and struggled to find the words to comfort him, to make everything okay. Lucas was the one who was good with words, not him. What do you say to someone who told you their biggest secret, one that changed their life completely?

"Luke…" Nathan began, taking a step towards him.

"No" Lucas whispered. "I'm sorry, I…" he said, not finishing his sentence before turning around and heading towards the woods.

"Luke!" Nathan shouted, watching his brother walk away. "Lucas!" He shook his head, noting how this was typical Lucas behaviour and followed his brother.

Haley was leaning against the door frame, still reeling from the shock that her best friend had HCM. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it away, hoping that Dan hadn't seen. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. This was so unusual for Dan Scott, yet he felt comforting and she could only imagine that he too must also be hurting. She pulled away after a few moments and looked up at Dan.

"I guess judging by your reaction he hadn't told you either?" Dan said, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere slightly. "That boy's sure good at keeping secrets!" he continued, letting out a small chuckle. He moved towards the table and sat down, grabbing the bottle of whisky on the dresser as he passed.

"I'm sorry Mr Scott" Haley said quietly, making her way towards him.

"Please Haley, just Dan."

"Sorry, Dan..."

Dan looked up at the young girl and motioned for her to sit. "Would you like some?" he asked, gesturing at the whisky.

"No thanks, I don't really drink" Haley replied, feeling a little uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Dan nodded, pouring himself a double measure into his glass. "You're a very wise girl Haley, you'll go far in life."

"Thank you" she replied, eyeing the amount Dan was pouring into his glass. "You know, I had no idea" she began, trailing off slightly when she felt Dan looking at her.

"That you're wise? I'd have thought you'd have known that by now, maybe I'll take what I said back" Dan shot back, still attempting to lighten the mood, flashing her the trademark Scott smirk.

Haley looked at him, slightly confused as to whether Dan was joking or not. Dan noticed this and began to laugh, even more so when Haley began to blush.

"Just ignore me Haley, carry on with what you were saying."

"I had no idea that Lucas had HCM, I mean I know he had the test, but he told me he was fine."

"He had us all fooled. Well, those of us that knew. Did he tell you about the test?"

Haley shook her head.

"No" she responded, "Nathan told me they were going and then I pressed Luke to tell me more. I know that Nathan is fine and Luke told me he was too" she explained.

Dan began to turn the glass in his hands, thinking about Haley's words.

"He never told me. Not that I'd expect him to, nor Nathan, but when Nathan told me he'd got himself checked out, I asked him if Lucas had been checked. Nathan told me that Lucas was fine, but I guess he lied to him as well."

Haley looked down, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She felt so much disappointment that Lucas had lied to everyone, but much more sorrow for how he must be feeling.

"Do Karen and Keith know?" she asked, feeling hopeful that he'd at least told them about the test.

"Karen has no idea that he's even been tested." Dan took a mouthful of his drink, and swallowed, feeling the all too familiar warming in his chest. "Keith on the other hand knows he went for the test and that he was okay. I told him what I knew and we both felt it was best that Karen didn't know, and that Lucas still thought that we didn't know."

Haley nodded, taking in Dan's reasons for not telling Karen. She looked down at her lap, fidgeting with the hem on her dress, unsure of what to say next.

Dan sat for a few moments watching the young girl in front of him. She had a striking resemblance to her Aunt Rhonda, the same characteristics; smart, beautiful, nervous. She had her father's logical approach and her mother's laugh, but you couldn't mistake the relation between her and Rhonda James.

Haley sensed Dan looking at her and looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes quickly fell down to his glass and he poured himself another glass. He began turning the glass in his hand, thinking of a way to start up the conversation again, while trying to keep his composure.

"Do you think I should go?" Haley asked. Dan looked up from his glass. "After Lucas and Nathan I mean."

She studied Dan's face as he moved his gaze once again to his glass. He placed it down slowly and reached a hand out towards Haley. He placed his hand over her bunched fist.

"I think you should. But maybe give them just a few more minutes to talk, y'know, just as brothers."

Haley nodded, unable to keep Dan's gaze.

"That's not to say you're not like family to them, because you are. It's going to be hard for Luke to tell people, so it's best he does it one at a time, at his own pace."

"Yeah, I just wish he'd been honest, we could have helped him with this. I can't believe I didn't notice something was wrong, I've just been so wrapped up in everything else that was going on." Haley began to get upset and Dan pulled her towards him, comforting her once again.

"Hey, come on now. You can't blame yourself. We all get distracted by things and don't see what's in front of us, but we learn from our mistakes. I know I have and if I can do it anyone can." He said, nudging her slightly. Dan smiled, hearing Haley let out a small chuckle.

She nodded and smiled at Dan.

"I guess you're right."

"We'll all help Lucas to get through this, he just needs time. But right now, I think he needs his brother and his best friend, so go and find them."

He patted her hand and watched her rise from the seat and move towards the door.

"Oh Haley," Dan called out.

Haley turned to look at Dan once again.

"Let's keep this a secret between us okay, just for now? I think it's best the news comes from Lucas"

Haley nodded and left.

Dan sat for a few moments and then moved towards the sink. He watched the young girl retreat into the woods. He'd always hoped that one day Haley would marry one of his sons; she'd be a wonderful wife, mother and daughter in law. He continued to think about the children's past, how the three of them had been close growing up. Hopefully one day Haley would marry one of his sons, it would most likely be Lucas, but part of him hoped it might be Nathan. There had always been something more than friendship between Haley and Nathan, particularly within the last year. It was obvious, but the signs were there. He would know, he'd had a similar experience as a teenager. His thoughts began to wander slightly, but he pushed them out of his head. He couldn't think about that now.

Dan paused for a moment longer, thinking how good Haley would be for Nathan. She'd always kept him grounded and helped him, but maybe she could help him in a relationship sense. He smirked to himself, deciding he would try and help to get the two of them together. Maybe this wouldn't be such a long weekend after all, instead things had got just a little bit more interesting.

Haley stepped over a fallen log, getting closer to the lake with every step. She could hear the low murmurs of both Lucas and Nathan's voices, but not clearly enough to make out what they were saying. As she got closer she could see the warm glow of a small fire and the black silhouette of the two boys.

Walking through the trees and onto the sand, Haley was able to hear the conversation taking place.

"You really need to work out what you're going to do" Nathan said, turning his head slightly and glancing at his brother.

Lucas continued to draw patterns in the sand with a stick, pausing only to look across the lake, evidently deep in thought.

Haley moved closer, closing the gap between them.

"You can't tell Haley yet" Lucas said, turning to Nathan. "Please" he murmured, his eyes pleading with Nathan.

Haley decided to make her presence known.

"Tell me what?" she asked, causing both Nathan and Lucas to jump. Neither of the two boys answered her and looked at each other rather awkwardly. Haley moved the last few steps towards them.

"Move up" she ordered, pushing between the two boys. They shuffled away from each other, giving enough room for Haley to sit between them. The heat of the fire felt welcoming on what was a rather cold evening for the time of year, and Haley wrapped her arms around herself to warm herself up quicker. She looked at Lucas, studying his face closely.

"You never answered my question Luke. What don't you want to tell me?"

Lucas looked up, his eyes wide. "Erm…. Err….." He searched for an explanation, unable to think of a believable one, and looked over at Nathan for help. Nathan wrapped his arms around Haley and pulled her towards him.

"Just that we'd been here without you, didn't want you to feel left out or get all jealous" he said, smirking before nuzzling her neck.

Haley smiled and moved closer into him. "As if I'd get jealous!" she protested.

"You know you do" Nathan smirking, causing Haley to pout.

Before she could protest further, Lucas interrupted.

"I'm just not sure where to go to college or whether I should major in basketball or literature. I know we had everything planned the two of us, but right now I'm just not sure." He glanced at Haley, hoping his story was believable. "I wanted some advice from Nate and some time to think before I mentioned it to you. I didn't mean to keep you in the dark."

Haley smiled at him, breaking free from Nathan's arms and entwining her own around Lucas.

"Luke it's fine, we have plenty of time to sort out college!" She felt Lucas' arms embrace her back. "As for keeping me in the dark, you didn't, like you said you just needed time."

The two broke free, smiling at each other.

"As long as there's no more secrets, everything will be fine." Haley beamed at him, squeezing his hand gently.

Lucas forced himself to smile. "Of course there's no more secrets, you know I tell you everything."

Haley shuffled back to her original spot and pulled her knees up towards her chest. She felt Nathan place his jacket over her shoulders and she smiled at him gratefully. The three of them sat in silence for a little while longer, watching the lake and the fire, lost in their own thoughts. Lucas was the one to break the silence.

"Speaking of secrets, didn't you two promise to tell me about what's been going on between you?"

Nathan smiled and wrapped his arms around Haley. "We did promise that. Do you wanna' do this now?" He asked.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I don't really want to go back yet, plus if I put it off you might not tell me" he joked, nudging Haley. The three of them laughed slightly. Haley grasped Nathan's hand; it was clear from the expression on her face that she was fearful of how this was going to play out. She knew that Lucas probably wouldn't like some or most of what they would tell him, especially as they had kept it quiet for so long.

Nathan smiled at his brother once again.

"Get settled then Luke, I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while."

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 **So there it is!**

 **I'm so excited to post the next chapter so we can finally find out how Haley and Nathan got together.**

 **Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you thought by leaving me a review; I read through them all and love to know what you all think!**


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